Mercury switch



june 1932K Pix-"Sh n"? MERCURY SWITCH Filed Aug. 14. 1951 ATH'OR N EY Patented June 7, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES HATAY, OF BERLIN-CHARLOTTENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERA ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MERCURY SWITCH Application filed August 14, 1931, Serial No. 557,147, and in Germany September 12, 1930.

The present invention relates generally to mercury switches and more particularly the invention relates to mercury switches of the magnetic type in Which the electrical connection between the electrodes is made and broken by uniting and separating the mercury in the envelope, similar to that disclosed in co-pending application, Serial Number 481,049, filed September 10, 1930, being the invention of Charles Hatay.

In the switches disclosed in the application referred to a plunger is provided in an elongated container, the. vertical movements of said plunger being guided by one of the electrodes in said container, and controlled by an electro magnet whose armature is a part of the plunger. The mode of operation is such electromagnet whose armature is a part of plunger to break the circuit through the switch, the circuit being made again when the magnet is deenergized and the plunger drops back to its at rest position, or electric contact is made when the plunger which floats in the mercury is pulled'downward by the energized magnet and broken when the magnet is deenergized permitting the core to rise. Both of these modes of operation necessitate the continuous energizing of the magnet to maintain the plunger in at least one of its operating positions, either in its contact making or its contact breaking position depending on the mode of operation, so that the magnet consumes much current.

The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the plunger of a magnetically operated switch is retained in its contact making or contact breaking position independent of the electric magnet. A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the electromagnet is used only to move the plunger to its contact making or contact breaking position. Still further objects attaching to the invention and to its use and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following particular description and from the appended claims.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of this s ecification an embodiment of the invention 1s shown, in which 1 is an elevational view of the new and novel switch, the coil of the electric magnet being shown in section, the switch being shown in its contact breaking position, and.

of the electric magnet a, b, 6, said electric magnet having two coils a, b wound on a common yoke, a chamber h of insulation material and having openings 0 on opposite sides thereof, and a tubular part 8, which may be of insulation material or not, as desired, to which is attached the core 6 and the spring clip f. Said spring clip .f is adapted to engage the indented groove 71 of the container 1' to maintain. the plunger in a lifted position to which it has been moved by the coil a of the electric magnet a, b, e. Said electrode g extends through the plunger, its lower end being immersed in the mercury pool in the float it at all positions of the plunger. Electrode d is immersed in the mercury pool in the container 7*. Electrical contact between the electrodes 03 and g is made and broken by the joining and separating of the two mercury pools at the holes 0 when the plunger is moved upward and downward by electric magnet a, b, e.

Assuming that the plunger is in its contact breaking position, which position is shown in Fig. 1, the magnet coils a and b are deenergized and the plunger is maintained in its lifted position in container 1' by spring-clip f pressing against the upper side of the groove 2' of said container 1', the mercury pools being physically separated by the insulating walls of chamber 72. so that the electrical connection between the electrodes 0? and g is broken. If coil 6 is energized, the core e and therewith the plunger is brought downward to the contact making position, which position is shown in Fig. 2, and in which position the mercury pools flow together through openings 0 to establish the electrical connection between electrodes d and g. The plunger is maintained in this position by its own weight, the buoyancy of chamber it in the mercury being insufficient to support core 6, so that the coil 6 maybe deenergized. The coil a is energized to restore the plun er to its contact breaking position and may e deenergized when said plunger is in that position since spring clips f again engage groove 2' to maintain the plunger in a contact breaking position. Thus the magnet coils are energized only when moving the plunger from a contact making to a contact breaking position or vice versa and need not be energized to maintain the plunger in either of its two positions which saves current and makes the switch very efficient in operation.

It will be .understood of course that the above particular description and the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification are illustrative merely and that numerous substitutions, modifications and changes in the form and details of the device and in its use and operation may-be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the broad spirit and scope of the invention, for example, if float it is of sufficient buoyancy to support core e so that the plunger is normally in a contact breaking position the spring clip f may be adapted to maintain said plunger in a contact breaking position independent of the electric magnet.

What .I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movementsthereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in each of its operating positions.

2. A mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a. plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercury and being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.

3. A mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, one of said electrodes being adapted to guide said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.

4.. A mercury switch comprising 3. container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercury, one of said electrodes being adapted to guide the vertical movements of said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.

5. A mercury switch comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a body of mercury therein, a plunger in said container, a support member for said plunger, said plunger having a core out of said mercur one of said electrodes being adapted to guide the vertical movements of said plunger, said plunger being adapted on successive movements thereof to make and break the electrical connection between said electrodes, said core being the armature of a magnetic coil located above the level of said mercury, said support member being adapted to maintain said plunger in one of its two operating positions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of July, 1931.

CHARLES HATAY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,861,631. June 7, 1932.

CHARLES HATAY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 18, strike out the Words "electromagnet whose armature is a part of" and insert instead that the electro magnet either raises the; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of October, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,861,631. June 7, 1932.

CHARLES HATAY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 18, strike out the words "electromagnet whose armature is a part of" and insert instead that the electro magnet either raises the; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of October, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seai) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

